Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with the disputes that arise under Section 3 and Section 4 of the Party Wall Act.

As already established in Section 3 and Section 4 of the Party Wall Act, Section 5 deals with disputes that arise when a party structure notice or a counter notice has been served.

Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act begins by setting out a time frame period by which an owner who is in receipt of a served notice must respond. This period is 14 days, and if the owner does not consent within this period, then a dispute is deemed to have arisen.

This section is an extremely small section of the Act and it simply consists of a single sentence. Although it does not state it within Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act, if a dispute is deemed to have arisen during or after that 14-day period then the dispute would be dealt with under Section 10 of the Party Wall Act.

A time period is necessary to allow a building owner to proceed with the party wall process, rather than be scuppered at the first hurdle, where an adjoining owner may decide to ignore the notice.

Despite the 14-day period, even if a decent is deemed to have arisen, owners can still agree at any time during the party wall process to consent to the works. If written consent is given, then there is no need to continue to pursue a dispute process.

If you require Party Wall advice, then contact us 01635 579208. Proud members of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, RMA Surveyors Ltd provides professional, independent advice.

Section 3 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with the requirements for issuing a Party Structure Notice.

Before a building owner can exercise any right conferred to him under Section 2 of the Party Wall Act he should serve on an adjoining owner a Party Structure Notice stating his intentions.

What should a Party Structure Notice contain?

A party structure notice should be served to the adjoining owner 2 calendar months before the works are due to begin. Although there is no express requirement within this section to include a date on the notice it is implied by the Act’s stipulation of the notice period. The notice will cease to be effective if the works in which it relates do not begin within 12 months, beginning with the day of which the notice was served and if the work is not undertaken with due diligence.

A Party Structure Notice should include the name and address of the building owner, as well as the particulars and description of the proposed works. In cases where the building owner is seeking to construct special foundations, then plans, sections and details of these foundations, together with structural engineer calculations of the loads to be carried, should also be included. The notice should also include the date on which proposed works are due to commence.

Serving Notice

Notices under Section 3 of the Party Wall etc. Act pertain only to Section 2 of the Act. It is deemed by party wall professionals that the format of notices under this section should also be applied for notices of adjacent excavation as well as line of junction notices.

If a notice is not served then the Act is not invoked, nor are the rights conferred under the Act. Notice can be issued by anyone, although in our experience it can be easy for the lay person to make a mistake on a notice which can invalidate it. We advise clients that the cost is minimal and it is usually best to allow us to issue valid notice/s on their behalf. If an invalid notice is served there is a possibility that notice will need to reissued leading to inevitable delays. It should be noted that Party Wall Notices are legal documents.

When a notice is served by another party on behalf of the building owner it should be made clear that this is the case on the notice. The person serving notice should have written authority to do so. A party wall surveyor serving notice is acting as an agent at this stage, not a party wall surveyor. Party Wall Surveyors can only be appointed as a Party Wall Surveyor once a notice has been served and a dispute has arisen. Appointment of Surveyors is covered under Section 10 of the Act.

Agreement to a notice can be given at any time, even if the process of dispute has commenced. An adjoining owners consent to any notice must be in writing. Party wall notices become legally binding documents and any consent given needs to be documentable. This prevents any potential misunderstandings once works are underway.

If you require advice regarding Section 3 of the Party Wall etc. Act or indeed any Party Wall matter, contact us on 01635 579208.

Section 2 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with the rights of owners in regard to repairs of party wall or structure.

Section 2, Rights of Owners

Section 2 of the Party Wall etc. Act confers the following rights to owners:

Requires that a building owner gives notice to an adjoining owner where a party wall or party fence wall or building belonging to him is already in place and he intends to underpin, thicken or raise a structure . The section allows the building owner to make good, repair, demolish or rebuild if the structure is in some way defective.

Allows a building owner to demolish a partition which separates buildings belonging to separate owners and does not conform to statutory requirements, and rebuild that wall to meet such requirements.

Allows a building owner to demolish arches or structures over public highways or over areas belonging to other persons that connect buildings, and rebuild them to conform with statutory requirements.

Allows a building owner to demolish a party structure that is weak or of insufficient height and rebuild it to sufficient strength or height for their purposes. It also allows the rebuilt structure to build to a lesser height or thickness providing the rebuilt structure is of sufficient strength and height for the purposes of the adjoining owner.

Allows a building owner to cut into a party structure for any purpose (this might include inserting a damp proof course).

Allows a building owner to cut away from a party wall any footing or projecting chimney breast or flue or other projection, in order to erect, raise or underpin a wall.

Allows a building owner to cut away or demolish part of any wall or building of an adjoining owner which overhangs the building owner’s land or a party wall to the extent it is necessary, to enable a vertical wall to be erected or raised against the wall or building of the adjoining owner.

Allows the building owner to cut into the wall of the adjoining owners building to insert a flashing or other weather proofing.

A building owner can execute any other necessary works incidental to the connection of the party structure with the premises it adjoins, and to raise a party fence wall or any such wall for the use of a party wall. It also allows to demolish a party fence wall and rebuild it as a party wall.

Allows a building owner (if served with an adjoining owner counter notice to maintain the height of a wall) to reduce, demolish and rebuild a party wall or party fence wall to a height of not less than 2 metres where the wall isn’t used by the adjoining owner, other than for boundary purposes, and to a height currently enclosed upon the building of an adjoining owner.

Allows a building owner to expose a party wall or party structure previously enclosed providing adequate weathering is installed.

Section 2, Additional Rights and Clarifications

Section 2 of the Party Wall Act clarifies certain matters pertaining to the above rights.

Where a building owner proposes to:

underpin, thicken or raise a party structure (and this work is not necessary on account of defect or requiring repair)

demolish a party structure of insufficient strength or height for the purposes of the building owner and to rebuild it to the sufficient strength or height

cut into a party structure for any purpose, cut away from a party wall, a party fence wall or external wall any footing or projecting chimney breast or to cut away and demolish parts of a wall or building from the adjoining owner which is overhanging their land

cut into the wall of an adjoining owner in order to insert a flashing or other weather proofing

Then these rights are only exercisable subject to the building owner making good any damage caused by the work to the adjoining premises, furnishings or decorations. The installation of any flues or chimney stacks need to be agreed in regards to height and materials between the owners.

In the case where an adjoining owner has issued a counter notice to maintain the height of a wall and a building owner has opted to build a wall or a party fence wall to a height not less than 2 metres or a height currently enclosed upon by the building of an adjoining owner, then the building owner must reconstruct any parapets or replace an existing parapet with another and may construct a parapet where one is needed but did not exist previously.

The building owner may exercise rights granted under Section 2 of the Party Wall etc. Act, providing he has consent in writing from the adjoining owner and the adjoining owner’s occupiers (if necessary).

Party Wall Notice Requirement – Party wall notices are required where a property owner (The Building Owner) is planning works that are likely to affect a neighbouring owner’s (The Adjoining Owner) property.

The definitions of the Party Wall Act Etc. 1996 are clear and explain the circumstances where notice is required to be served, as well as the types of structures that are covered by the Act.
For example, we recently had an enquiry from somebody concerned that the tree on their property was likely to be affected by the neighbours building proposals. They were disappointed that, as a Party Wall Surveyors, we were unable to assist them. The party wall act does not define trees as a party structure.

That said, the definitions of structures that can be affected are not restricted to walls that separate adjoining buildings. Section 6 of the Party Wall Act is often flouted where Building Owners do not realise that where works involve excavations within 3 (or in some cases 6) metres of an Adjoining Owner’s structure, and to a depth lower than their foundation, then notice must be served. Furthermore, Section 1 of the Party Wall Act requires notice to be served when the building owner is building on the line of junction. This can mean a party wall or a party fence wall. The definitions of a ‘party fence wall’ are provided within Section 20 of the Act, it is a wall that is not part of a building that stands on lands of different owners. However, timber fences are not considered party fence walls.

The RICS UK Residential Market Survey for September 2016 states that ‘confidence is starting to recover following the immediate reaction to the EU Referendum, as the UK residential market experiences a slight upturn in August’.

In brief it highlights that:

House price rises regain some momentum

Sales hold steady after four successive monthly falls

Buyer enquiries and sales instructions continue to slip – but at a greatly reduced pace.

While undertaking a Homebuyers Survey on a four bedroom detached house in Highclere, RMA Surveyors, Newbury, highlighted a list of defects where further investigation would be required.

Notably, we found evidence of a partial blockage to the drain, believed to be caused by tree roots. We reported this back to our client in the Homebuyer Report.

We recommended the client commission a CCTV survey of the drain runs, as this would provide a clear diagnosis of any problem.

The client had the drains checked by a drainage specialist, who discovered there were bush and tree roots present in all of the drain runs.

As a consequence, insurers would only provide buildings insurance if subsidence was specifically excluded from the policy. This was a big risk for our client as we also noted some evidence of subsidence to a subsidiary structure at the premises within the same survey. The insurers stipulated that all drain repairs must be undertaken and a further structural survey be carried out prior to any policy being agreed.

As a result, the Mortgage company refused to lend and their mortgage offer was withdrawn. This defect was not picked up by the mortgage valuation survey as these types of survey are very limited in scope.

Why Get a Homebuyers Report?

By commissioning a Homebuyers Report, the client saved valuable time and considerable future expense and inconvenience.

It is important to remember that a mortgage valuation is not a survey. It is undertaken on behalf of the lender, not the purchaser and only serves to determine whether or not the property provides enough security for the bank to lend upon.

This case proves that a Homebuyers Survey and Report does save our client’s money. A property purchase is one of the biggest investments you will make, and commissioning a Homebuyers Report or Building Survey will provide peace of mind that the investment is a solid one.

RMA Surveyors, Newbury are members of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. Its aim is to promote the highest standards of professional practice in this field of expertise.

In order to enhance awareness and provide advice & guidance to the general public they have created an explanatory leaflet. A useful guide that explains all you need to know: FPWS-Explanatory-Leaflet.

PARTY WALL ADVICE

If you feel you need some professional advice, please contact RMA Surveyors on 01635 579208. We act on behalf of building owners and adjoining owners, as well as agreed surveyors for both parties. Get in touch to see how we can support you or complete the contact form with your enquiry.

Are you Planning Building Work to a Party Wall?

Are you planning building work to a party wall or structure that you share with your neighbour? Is your neighbour undertaking building work that will affect your property?

If you are planning building work or your neighbour is proposing work that affects a party wall or party structure then there is a legal requirement to meet the provisions of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. If your property is in England or Wales, this legislation must be followed. The law does not apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

What Is a Party Wall?

A Party Wall can be defined many ways. Principally it is a wall that sits across the boundary between two or more properties, such as the dividing wall between adjoining houses. It could also be the dividing floor between flats.

The Act also protects structures that stands completely on one owner’s land. Sometimes this can be astride the line of junction and can be used by both owners. i.e. Where one owner has built a wall and the adjoining owner has built up against it enclosing the structure. In that particular example only part of that wall might be considered a ‘party wall’.

Properties that are completely independent of one another can also be subject to the Act. If a building owner is planning to undertake excavations up to 6 metres from an adjoining owners structure there may also be a requirement to adhere to the Act.

A ‘party fence wall’ is a wall that does not form part of a building and stands on land belonging to different owners. This could be a garden wall, but does not include a timber fence.

There are many instances where the Party Wall Act may or may not be relevant. For this reason we always recommend it is assessed by a professional to assist, who both knows the workings of the Act and has technical construction expertise.

Does the Party Wall Act Apply To Me?

Providing the structure or structures in question meets the definitions within the Party Wall Act there is ikely to be a requirement that works need to be agreed with the adjoining owner. Simple works, such as installing shelves, replacing electrical sockets or wiring, does not require an agreement. But you should only do certain building work to a party wall or party structure once the adjoining owner or owners have been formally notified in writing and agreed the works in advance of works proceeding. Examples of notifiable party wall work might include ork includes:

Cutting into a wall to take the weight of a beam or insert a flashing.

Inserting a damp proof course.

Demolition, reconstruction or underpinning a party wall.

If you’re planning to undertake excavations there are some comprehensive requirements defined within the Party Wall Act, that need to be properly understood to determine whether the Act applies.

When Does Party Wall Notice Need To Be Served?

If you are planning to undertake building work to a Party Wall then we suggest you inform your neighbour in good time. This is the most critical step and can often prevent unnecessary and costly dispute later on. The purpose of the Act is to avoid disputes arising by making sure owners are aware and agree the Party Wall works.

Where applicable you must notify your neighbour in writing before building work to a party wall begins. There is a minimum period for this notice to be served before building works affecting the party wall or structure can commence. If there is more than one person with an interest in the property (i.e. Leaseholders and Freeholders. Again these are clearly defined in the Act) you must notify all of them. If there are multiple properties affected they must all be notified.

The Act is specific about the requirements of issuing notice/s. It is very important that valid notice or notices are served. If notices are not valid they will need to be served again correctly and this will reset the minimum period.

What Happens If An Adjoining Owner Does Not Agree to Party Wall Works?

If an adjoining owner does not agree to works then a dispute is deemed to have arisen. Parties in dispute are not able to act as a surveyor for themselves . They need to appoint someone who can act independently. Owners may agree to appoint a single ‘agreed surveyor’, or they can each appoint their own surveyor to act upon their behalves. The expert or experts will agree the parameters of how the works should be carried out and will serve a ‘party wall award’ which will stipulate how works affecting the party structure will be completed.

The award usually contains a schedule of condition of the affected elements of the adjoining owner’s property before work begin. This provides an accurate record of the condition of the building prior to works so damage (if any) can be properly defined after works have been completed.